Top 8 Low-Carb Mistakes

You know how some foods just instinctively seem low-carb - or appear to genuinely be so, based on the package labels, but somehow aren't? Isn't that maddening? Here's Amy Tenderich's personal list of dreaded "fake-out foods" that spike her blood sugars when they seem like they shouldn't.

2of9

Protein shakes

Protein "shake" drinks [tasty and filling, they're supposedly only 9 grams of carb per an 11 oz. can, but post-drink blood sugars disagree with that assessment]

3of9

Rice cakes

Rice cakes [I like the more "gourmet" compressed variety, which state that they only contain 8g carb per TWO cakes, but my blood sugar tells me VERY differently]

4of9

Light beef bologna

Light beef bologna [a favorite snack of mine, which supposedly has virtually no carbs - but not dosing for it at all is always a mistake]

5of9

Hummus

Hummus [I love it, but must I remember that it's made of mashed garbanzo beans, so must remember to dose for at least 20g carb if I'm going to indulge at all - despite the fact that the packaging says 7g of carb per 2 Tbsp, which sounds so insignificant...]

6of9

Ranch dressing

Light Ranch dressing [we buy this as a dip for the kids, but I it like on veggies, too. Why does my BG always spike even though the bottle says just 3g of carb per 2 Tbsp? How much of it could possibly adhere to a handful of mini-carrots, anyway?]

7of9

Peanut butter

Peanut butter [OK, the mainstream brands are all fat bombs, but couldn't they at least be low-carb? The labels say just 7g carb per 2 Tbsp, so the problem's gotta be that I eat too much once I get started. Hey, it IS addictive.]

8of9

Cocktail sauce

Cocktail sauce [once again the jar gives that magic value of 7g per 2 Tbsp, and I never eat too much of this stuff. What's even in there besides tomatoes and spices? And darn it don't you know, even teriyaki sauce can catapult your BG.]

9of9

Bacon bits

Bacon bits [I add ‘em to my salads and more; it's all about the garnish and condiments when you're stuck with bland gluten-free foods. But the stupid baco bits always seem to contribute to a BG spike despite the label: only 2 carbs per 1.5 Tbsp?]